Pedophile priest so cocky he went to police when threatened by victim

Having abused young boys for over 30 years Father Eugene Greene had become so cocky that he lodged a complaint with the police when one of his victims attempted to blackmail him.

On December 20, 1997, Greene went to the police to make a complaint about the blackmail. After two years of investigations by local detectives Greene faced 115 charges relating to the buggery, gross indecency and indecent assault of 26 boys.

Green pleaded guilty to 40 of the charges. The only evidence of the crimes was the words of his victims who came forward.

The pedophile, having abused children since the 1960s, believed that he could lodge a complaint with the police and no investigation would take place. The Donegal diocese of Raphoe holds no records of the many allegations, going back three decades, and complaints made by children’s parents.

According to reports in the Irish Independent Greene groomed his victims from the age of eight. He would offer the small boys alcohol and cigarettes. Sometimes he would take them out to cut turf on the bog and allow them to drive his car on the way back to the parochial house.

One victim told the police “It was worse than hell. I felt so alone. I had nobody to turn to. I did want to tell my own dad but I said to myself if I told them they would say 'No, the priest can never do that'."

Greene served his 12 years in prison and was released on December 8, 2008.

The victims were enraged when they discovered that former parishioners and supporters of Greene had raised $71,000 (€50,000) for the priest. The Voices of the Faithful group said the size of the donations illustrate the “most serious state of denial of the most horrific crimes in Donegal”.